Thanks for all the positive feedback guys! I'm extremely impressed with how well this story is doing!
I thought I'd give y'all one more chapter before I start this new school week. Don't expect any updates within the next few days, I'll probably be hitting the books all week.
Well! Enjoy!
"I think we should consider just starting over Gerda. The skirt is extremely heavy. And this new dress is very tight." Anna stands before a mirror lifting the weighed down skirt hanging from her hips.
"But you look so pretty Anna. Why waste such a beautiful dress?" Olaf asks from his seat by the window. He was now watching the first flakes of winter sprinkle down from the clouds.
"Because I can't breathe." Anna tries stretching her arms out in attempt make more room for her airways. Gerda steps behind her and begins to unlace the the dress.
"This is very tight. Sweetheart, have you gained weight?" Gerda pulls on the lace on the back of her dress tightly. With each tug Anna yelps and tips back slightly.
"Well, I might've started eating a lot of chocolate starting...very recently..." She holds her breath while Gerda pulls again.
"The knot isn't coming undone my lady." She steps back and examines her challenge before there's a knock on the door.
"Enter." Gerda calls without even glancing up from the dress. Anna heaves air in and out of her chest.
"The ball starts in twenty minutes your majesty. Her highness the Queen requests to see her sister in the ballroom before the festivities begin." A guard pokes his head into the room and relays his message quickly before leaving and closing the door behind him.
"Goodness is it that time already! How time flies!" Gerda looks out the window to see the high noon sun peeking through the winter clouds. Olaf hops off the bench by the window and plops down on the floor by the warm fire.
"Please don't tell me I have to stay in this dress all night! I can't breathe! I can barely move!" Anna exclaims as she waddles from side to side dragging a very heavy skirt beneath her.
"My lady we only have twenty minutes and you heard the guard. Elsa wants to see you. Just...no eating, no dancing, and no hyperventilating...okay?" Gerda smiles sweetly at Anna as the tightly wound princess gawks at her long time friend and maiden.
"So you want me to go downstairs and literally stand there all night? I don't even think it's virtually possible for me to sit down!" She gasps for air as she yells in desperation. Gerda rushes to her side and yanks on the lace once more.
"It isn't budging dear. I'm sorry, I really am..." Gerda steps back and bows in apology as the rest of her maidens follow suit. Anna takes a deep breath, or at least as deep as her dress would let her go, and regains composure.
"It's okay. This'll do just fine, please don't apologize. It's partly my fault, chocolate has been my breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the past few weeks. I guess I've been nervous, that's all." Anna tries to reach up and scratch her temple, but the dress wouldn't let her arm go past ear level. After numerous tries at reaching her itchy temple, she finally gives up in exasperation. You knew that in just an hour and a half, everything could go from beautifully perfect to a complete disaster? And this wasn't the first time Anna has experienced that first hand.
"I'll just...I'll find a way to survive the night. Don't worry, you all should be preparing for tonight. Go on ahead, I'll make it down to the ballroom...eventually." Anna starts wobbling for the doors when her over length skirt catches on the heal of her shoe and she goes toppling forward.
"Really?!" She sighs before she hits the ground face first.
"You highness!" A young maiden rushes to her side and helps her back up.
"I'm never gonna make it downstairs, let alone TO the stairs." Anna gratefully leans on her maiden for support as she steps out of her heels.
"I'll help you my lady." The young woman bends down to retrieve Anna's shoes before gesturing to the doors. With one lifting the front of her dress and the other held out for balance, her maiden grabs the back of her skirt, and they make their way to the door making about...a little less than fifteen feet per minute.
"Young man?" Elsa grabs the attention of one of her newest and youngest guards waiting by the door of the ballroom.
"Your majesty?" He bows his head and turns to her.
"Have you seen Anna? I asked for her to meet me here about ten minutes ago." She looks around the empty ballroom as if expecting her sister to appear before her.
"I have not my lady. Would you like me to search for her?" He asks and Elsa shakes her head.
"No, I'm sure I'll see her soon. She can't be far." Elsa starts pacing on the slick hardwood floor of the room. She had just changed into her party gown, slightly different from her daily dress. Just a more darker and solid material from the sparkling blues of her other one. After her conversation and exchange with Kristoff, she's been nervously fidgeting around wondering if she had completely terrified her, hopefully, soon to be brother in law. The poor guy looked as if he was about to throw up and then faint. He accepted the band and left, she just hoped he didn't run for the hills.
"Elsa, I'm here!" Anna calls from the doorway and wobbles further into the room, a young maiden trailing behind.
"My goodness, are you turning purple?" Elsa walks over to her sister and examines her.
"Dress is too tight, have to wear it anyway...I'm not allowed to...eat...dance...or breathe uncontrollably..." She gasps and drops her skirt in the floor. It hangs about two inches longer than it should.
"Oh, that's...fun..." Elsa feels for her sister.
"Yeah, fun for me! I just can't wait for this party to be OVER! I think I'm going to stand...right there...and STAY THERE for the rest of the night!" Anna grabs the front of her dress and starts stomping across the room. Only problem is, her maiden failed to catch up in time. Her heel yanks on the excess fabric at the back of the skirt and sends her flying backwards.
"Not again!" She yells before she lands on her butt with a loud thud.
"Why me?!" She sobs and starts doing the one thing she was not allowed to. Hyperventilate.
"Calm down Anna. Just take a seat on the throne and you'll be okay. You don't have to stay for the whole party, just for the beginning, then you can get this taken off." Elsa says when she reaches her sobbing sister. Her maiden follows shortly behind.
"That's the thing! I don't think I can GET it off!" Anna sobs uncontrollably into her hands.
"Your majesty is there anything I can do?" The maiden perks up from behind Elsa. She was young and a new hire to the staff.
"No, she's just been a little stressed and tired lately. Please don't worry about us, I'm sure you have other duties to tend to. Go on ahead, she'll be fine." Elsa smiles at her. She bows and scurries off in the direction of the kitchen. Elsa turns back to her sister.
"Anna, please stop crying. Chin up, come on." Elsa soothingly rubs her sister's back.
"It's just been so hard! Everytime he leaves, I feel like he's never gonna come back!" Anna yells through her tears. All the while she clawing at her tight corset. It takes a second for Elsa to figure out what she's talking about before she realizes it's Kristoff. He leaves for weeks at a time to oversee the ice harvesting and ensure that the deliveries make it to the kingdom. Even though it's wintertime, he'll still have to venture out into the wilderness to make sure all is well up the north mountain with the harvesting. Well at least Kristoff wasn't a fisherman, then Anna wouldn't let him leave at all.
"Okay, Anna, look at me! I know it's difficult, but Kristoff is not mom and dad, he won't die and leave you behind okay?! Chin up Anna! You need to adjust! They're simple adjustments, they're hard, but they're not impossible! Look at me!" Elsa urges Anna's chin up to face her.
"Breathe, just breathe. Don't let the nightmares get to you." She whispers to her sister in soothing tones. Anna breathes and calms down slightly.
"That's it, you're okay." Elsa rests her head atop Anna's.
"I miss them Elsa..." Anna whispers as she lets one more tear escape. Elsa sighs into Anna's hair.
"I miss them too."
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